China is intensifying work on drafting a counterterrorism law, a Chinese law expert said in Beijing Wednesday.

Zhao Bingzhi, a member of the drafting team, said a draft of the law is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

"China firmly opposes terrorism of various sorts and steadfastly stands at the forefront of the battle to fight terrorism in cooperation with the international community," said Zhao, deputy dean of the law school of the prestigious People's University of China.

He said China has joined most of the international counterterrorism treaties and, shortly after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the United States,

made amendments to its criminal law to beef up the counterterrorism.

"As economic globalization gathers speed, transnational crime has become a more protuberant problem. Such crimes pose a serious threat to peace and security in the international community and for all of humankind," Zhao said prior to the 22nd Congress on the Law of the World.

He said the counterterrorism measures of the international community remain inadequate despite the adoption of 12 international treaties on fighting terrorism.

Some issues in fighting international terrorism, including criteria for the crimes, counterterrorism measures, protection of human rights and international cooperation, still need to be discussed by the international community, said Zhao.

Some 1,400 Chinese and foreign law experts will discuss these issues and others at the 22nd Congress on the Law of the World, to be held in Beijing and Shanghai from September 3 to 10.

Source: Xinhua